Breaking Free
by CampHB
Summary: When Caspian blows on his horn for help, he gets more than he expects. Tarah Dennis is an orphan, a thief, and a runaway. But as she steps into Narnia, she is about to get the adventure of her life and something she never had—a family. Takes place in PC.
1. The Other Side of the Door

**If you didn't like this, I'm sorry. I have all of the Chronicles of Narnia books, but I don't exactly know how to write this...kinda. I'm used to writing fics for Percy Jackson. I'm not so sure if Tarah is Mary-Sue, but if you think she is, just tell me, and I'll do my best to change her. Anyway, tell me what you think by reviewing!**

**~CampHB**

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**~Chapter 1: The Other Side of the Door~**

_The house was dark and empty when I stepped in. I stood there in total blackness, no sign of my mom. There was a paper clip in my hand that I'd used to pick the lock on the door. Somali's mom had dropped me off at the apartment a few minutes ago._

"_Hello?" I called._

_Nothing. There was a sudden moan._

"_Hello?" I flicked on the lights in the kitchen. She wasn't there._

"_Hello? Anybody?" I searched her bedroom. Then I went into my room._

_My mom and her newest boyfriend Paul were on my bed, kissing heatedly. Paul moved down to her neck and she groaned. They didn't notice me at all. I stood frozen in the doorway, shocked. Paul started to slide his hand under her shirt when I suddenly screamed._

"_Get away from her!" I shrieked. I pulled his arm and tried to drag him off the bed. He raised his hand and hit me hard across the cheek._

"_Get out!" he shouted. "Get out!"_

"_No! Stop it!"_

_My mom looked up from the bed. "Tarah, go."_

"_No! What are you doing in my room? Get out! It's _my _room!"_

_Paul struck me again, drawing blood this time. "Go, little bitch. Leave."_

"_No! You get out! You don't live here!" I kicked him in the gut and he doubled over in pain. I punched his face and shoved him down the hall and into the kitchen._

"_Get out of my house!" I pushed him into the apartment corridor and slammed the door in his face, locking the door securely._

"_Tarah! No! Why'd you do that?" Mom grabbed an open bottle of wine from the counter._

"_He's not even supposed to be here! Why'd you lock me out?" I asked._

"_It doesn't matter," she replied. She lifted the glass container up and drank some of the alcohol. "Just don't do that again. You're going to ruin my reputation if you keep on interrupting my sessions."_

"_What reputation? Why should I listen to you?" _

"_I'm your mom. You're supposed to obey me."_

"_A mom? You sure don't act like one."_

"_I'm still your mom." She stared at me pointedly._

"_My mom? You aren't my mom!" I yelled. "A mom loves her kids and cares about them. Have you ever cared about me?"_

"_But I do care," she protested. "I do love you."_

"_Oh, sure you care," I said sarcastically. "Sure you care. Yeah, you cared when your jerk boyfriend Jean punched me. He hit me. He practically abused me! Did you stop him? No!"_

"_Tarah, I'm over him," she said, blowing hair out of her eyes. She shrugged and took another sip of wine from the bottle._

"_Stop!" I yanked the wine bottle out of her hands and smashed it against the floor, sending glass shards scattering on the ground. "Stop it! You never cared about me! You never loved me! Just admit it. It's not that hard! What happened today is proof!"_

"_I love you. I care. You don't understand."_

"_I don't understand. Yeah! I don't understand. Maybe _you _don't understand either. Do you know how it feels to be alone at home, thinking that every shadow was going to reach out and grab you? No! You don't! I was three then! You were out at the bar downtown and left me alone. Do you know how scared I was?" I shouted. _

"_No, you really don't get it. Tarah, I gave up everything for you. I left everything else behind so that you could have a better future. I—" she told me, eyes pleading._

_My heart hardened. "A better future? A better future? What kind of future? A future that involved you locking me out of the house in the cold today so that you could have who-knows-what with your boyfriend Paul? What kind of future is that? Did you ever think about me, huh?" My voice rose higher and higher. "My future is filled with miserable events. I have stupid, dumb, brainless, dense, shallow, drug and alcohol-addicted slut-of-a-woman ruining my life, and she will never, ever, ever be my mom or be called my mom. EVER!"_

_She reeled back, shocked. A look of hurt crossed her face. She started to whimper softly._

_I wasn't finished yet, though; I was on a roll. "I hate you!" I screamed. "I hate you! I never want to see you again! I wish you never gave birth to me! I wish I never was your kid!"_

_I glared at her, daring to object. She stayed with her head down, her body racking with soundless sobs. _

"_I'm leaving." I slung my backpack over my shoulder, already packed with essential needs. _

_Before I took a step near the door, I paused and looked back; half hoping she would say something. She finally moved, taking out a cigarette and lighter. She flicked the wheel on the red igniter, completely ignoring the fact that I was still there. _

"_Stop! This is exactly what I'm talking about! You don't care!" I swatted the lighter out of her hand. The flame fell to the ground, catching fire on the carpet. "I hate you. I wish you were dead," I said through clenched teeth._

_The fire that the single flame had started began to gobble up material greedily. Even though it was happening in front of her, she didn't move. She was frozen, like she couldn't believe what was happening. The hungry blaze spread around our apartment, burning down everything that stood in its path. The chair she was lounging on caught on fire. The hot tongues of heat extended near my feet, and I decided to get away from there as fast as I could._

_I ran away from the building. The last thing I remember were her soft brown eyes, staring into mine, full of sorrow and love. An anguished cry tore from her throat, like one of a wounded animal's, as she watched me leave. Then, she burst up into flames…_

_The flames got closer and closer, heat spreading out. I willed my legs to go faster, but they wouldn't move. The fire was only a few inches away. The bright blaze engulfed me and my vision filled with darkness, only her sad eyes watching me…_

* * *

...I woke up breathing heavily, cold sweat dripping down my back. To clear myself from the nightmare, I shook my head.

The fragments of my dream stood out vibrantly. They pulsed wildly across my brain.

_It's just a dream_, I chanted in my mind. _Just a dream._

Despite my thoughts, I knew that it was more than a nightmare. It had happened. How old was I now? Fourteen? It had been four years since I ran away and since my mother had burned down with our apartment. Four years that the police had searched for me. Four years that I had been running away from the government. Four years that my mother's death had become a burdening guilt.

I broke away from the painful memories and crawled out of my makeshift shelter of a stall in the subway bathroom. My legs were cramped from sleeping in a curled position in the small booth. I stretched and walked out of the subway station, determined to start a new day.

New York City was loud, noisy, and full of life. I was jostled around as I tried to locate the nearest place to buy food.

"Hey!" a man yelled as I pushed past him.

I ignored him and kept on going forward. Stupid pedestrians. They didn't know where they were walking.

A nearby taxi honked its horn as I darted in front of it on the street, weaving my way through traffic.

"'Scuse me, 'scuse me," I muttered as I ducked past people to get to a hot dog booth.

There weren't a lot of people waiting in line the little cart. The smell of cooking meat wafted to my nose. When it was my turn, I dug out a few precious bills that I thieved a few days ago.

"A hot dog," I said.

The man snapped his gum loudly. "That'll one dollar plus tax," he mumbled as he started to take the bun from the plastic bag. I didn't remember a hot dog being that expensive.

I soon received my prized hot dog and found a small coffee-shop to sit down at. The hot dog was warm. The bun was soft, and the sausage was juicy. I sniffed it delicately, taking in the smell. It was gone in a matter of seconds. My stomach growled for more, since it was the first food I had eaten in two days.

There were lots of people crowded on the sidewalk that spring morning. I stood clustered next to them while I waited for the 'walk' signal at the other side of the street. A few adults gave me strange looks as we stood impatiently. I pretended that they weren't there. Almost everyone seemed to give me weird glances.

Two days ago in Albany, I'd stolen a diamond ring. It beautiful; the band was 24K gold and the diamond itself was the size of a pea with tinier diamonds embedded around it. The ring was from an apartment somewhere in Albany that I decided to loot. My closest hideout was in Virginia and located in an abandoned building. After buying some more provisions, I would go to a jewelry shop or something like that. There, I would see if I could sell it to get some money, since I was already broke and couldn't keep on stealing from houses.

I swung open the door to a small breakfast shop and went inside. There was a bathroom located at the other side of the shop, and I decided to wash my face. I was probably dirty after three days of travel. I walked across the floor and swung open the door marked 'Ladies'.

The mirror reflected my image back to me: light brown hair bound back in a ponytail; brown eyes; high cheekbones and a well-defined jaw; and a streak of dirt across my forehead. I splashed cold water across my face, rubbing away the dirt. Some paper towels dried my face for me.

While judging how I felt, I noticed the facility door behind. It was made out of thick tree branches wrapped around a wooden frame, and had deep carvings engraved on it. The door's surface looked rough and was made out of tree bark.

"What?"

I whipped my head around and stared at the door. It was normal. I looked back in the mirror again. It was that mystical entrance, this time with vines and bright flowers sprouting on the branches. The blossoms' sweet fragrances smelled fresh. There was no handle on the door, like it wasn't meant to be opened.

"That's weird," I murmured.

I took a cautious step to the entry. It was like any other ordinary one that you see now. I took another. It still looked the same. But as I got closer, the image flickered between a solid wood door and a passageway to fantasy realm.

Soon the characters inscripted on the door were visible:

_Knock, and the door shall be opened unto you._

_It wouldn't hurt to try, _I considered. _But what if there's something I'm not supposed to see behind it._

My curiosity finally took over. I reached up and rapped lightly on the opening three times. Nothing happened for a few moments. Then it swung open slowly. I gasped.

On the other side was a forest with tall trees, each casting a tall shadow in the light of the rising sun. Birds chirped and soared around. Squirrels raced from tree to tree, collecting nuts in their mouths. A cool breeze made its way to me. It smelled like clean air.

It was the most amazing sight I had ever seen. For once something was peaceful and gorgeous in my life. I couldn't believe it.

I wasn't sure exactly what to do next. There could be something dangerous on the other side, though it was unlikely. Would I rather stay in NYC or in an enchanted forest? Urban or rural? Loud and noisy or quiet and serene? I had to admit, the other side seemed more pleasing.

I stepped through the passageway and landed on the green grass. The entrance was still behind me, picturing the small bathroom.

_I'll just look around for five minutes, _I silently thought. _Just five minutes. Then I'll go back._

Then I set off.

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**Whew! This chapter was really hard to write, since there wasn't a lot of action. Well? What did you think? If you really didn't like this so far, I don't have to continue. Just click the review button and tell me...nicely, please.**

**~CampHB**


	2. Into Narnia

**Well, here's the second chapter. The describing of the characters here are from the Disney movie, since C. S. Lewis doesn't really tell you how the Pevensies looked like. Again, tell me what you think… :)**

**~CampHB

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**~Chapter 2: Into Narnia~**

Soft grass padded the steps of my feet. I ran my hands over the firm bark of the trees, bending down to examine tiny yellow flowers budding from the ground. There was a small creek nearby with clear, sparkling water. I kneeled down and scooped up some of the cool liquid. It tasted sweeter than anything I'd ever drank.

My stomach growled for attention. The hot dog from this morning apparently didn't satisfy my hunger. I gingerly plucked a fresh apple from a tree branch and bit into it. The apple was crisp and sweet, the juices bursting in my mouth. The fruit crunched as I chewed.

I ate about three more apples after that and stuffed a few more into my pack just in case there was no other food. Then I traced my steps back to where the door had been. There was no entry place.

_Oh no. Please don't let me be stuck here._

I circled around the woods, trying to find the access from this place back to the bathroom in the shop. There was no trace that it'd ever existed. I sank to my knees, defeated.

_It's not so bad, _I quietly admitted. _I guess staying here is better than staying in New York or Virginia._

It was about noon when I finally decided to take matters in my own hands. I set off in a random direction, hoping to explore this new place and find out what lived here.

* * *

When it began to turn dark, I took out a stolen LED flashlight from my battered bag. It was man-powered, and I cranked the handle before a glaring white light shone from it.

I swept the light around my surroundings. The trees were dark and shadowed. An owl hooted in the distance. I shivered. There wasn't much to explore about this area, except for the trees. The woodland was filled with life, I could tell, but it seemed like I was trespassing when I went somewhere. It was like I had come a second too soon or a second too late.

Quietly, I gathered some dry branches and twigs and piled them together. A few lighter was used to catch a twig on fire to try and start a fire to warm myself in the rising cold. The small flame finally started to spread to the larger branches, heat radiating out. When the small inferno became a bonfire, I added a few more sticks to the crackling blaze.

Apples were my meal again. I began to grow tired of the eating the same food over and over, but I shook the thought away. The problem with food was that if you kept on eating it, your body demanded more. It was still better to eat something when you had it, though, because when you're a fugitive, you don't know when the next time you can eat something else is.

After dinner, I tucked my pack underneath my head as a pillow. There was almost nothing inside it except for a thin blanket, my last set of clothes, a few dollars, and the ring. I took out the blanket and the ring. The diamond sparkled in the light. I fingered it before slipping it into my pocket. Then I lay down and drifted into sleep.

* * *

I woke up as soon as the sun's rays hit the ground. The earth was hard and bumpy. I was soaked with wet dew. The last embers of the fire had died out as I was sleeping, and all that was left was warm ash.

The gray ash was scattered into the wind. I dragged the charred remains of the wood away from the campfire, and sprinkled dirt on the pit.

A few more apples were my breakfast. After the morning meal, I set out to reach the edge of the forest. I had no idea where I was, but I was sure I would find out soon enough. After all, there had to be someone living here…right?

* * *

Around noon, I stopped to rest. Again, apples were drawn out. I was about to take a bite out of one when something flew out of nowhere and cut through it. I looked at my empty hand, then at the object that had sliced the fruit in half perfectly. A long arrow had pierced through. Another arrow lodged itself into the tree behind me.

I jumped up and grabbed my bag, scanning the area.

"Who's there?" I called.

_Could be the police. Nah. Since when do police use arrows? They use guns._

No answer.

"Who are you?"

Someone crunched over a twig. I slowly started to back up, going back the way I'd come from.

"Come on out," I said. My heart beat faster.

An arm reached out and grabbed me from behind. My backpack fell to the ground as I tried to defend myself. I struggled, punching the person in the shoulder. They cursed and slammed me into a tree, putting something cold and pointed at my throat.

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**Sorry for the short chapter. I'll try to write more, even if I don't have a lot of time. :)**

**~CampHB**


	3. The Pevensies

**I hope you guys like this chapter!**

**~CampHB**

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**~Chapter 3: The Pevensies~**

My head throbbed as it hit the tree trunk. I opened my eyes to find a blond boy not much older than me. He steadied a wickedly sharp sword at my neck and his blue eyes flashed a warning as I clenched my fists.

"Ho! What've you got there, High King?" a gruff voice sounded. A short, stocky man waddled out of the trees. A dirty yellow beard hung to his waist, and a bow was at his side.

A girl followed him, also with an arrow notched in her bow. She had black hair and steel-blue eyes. A younger girl was behind her, clutching a dagger. The younger one had brown hair and warm coffee-colored eyes.

"Peter!" Another kid melted out of the woods. With dark brown hair and amber eyes, he looked nothing like the other kids, but his face was somewhat similar. His sword flashed in the light.

Still one more boy walked out, probably about a year younger than me. His brown hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin made him seem somewhat exotic. He looked nothing like the others. He was carrying a weapon, a steel sword.

I realized that they were all wearing chain mail and old-fashioned clothes, like out of fairy-tale. The girls had dresses, and the boys had tunics and tall boots. The main emblem on their clothing was the red silhouette of a standing lion, except for the dark boy. The other kids' mail was silver and looked light. He was wearing a green tunic that blended in with the trees and heavy black armor.

"Who is she?" the older girl asked. A British accent reached my ears.

"I don't know," Peter said, his eyes trained warily on me. "Could be a spy for Miraz."

"Bah! Miraz doesn't even know you're here," the short man grumbled. "Though he might suspect."

"Peter could be right, Trumpkin," the foreign boy agreed.

"What?" Who the heck were these people? And why were they here? Where even was I?

"So she can speak," Trumpkin said wryly. "What a surprise."

"Shut up!" I growled. I rarely spoke to strangers, and when I did, it was only when I had to.

"Who are you?" Peter demanded.

"Why should I tell you?" Being on the run had cautioned me to give away my identity—especially to people I didn't know, which was basically about everyone.

"Answer me," said Peter. The blade of his sword dug slightly deeper.

"Make me," I taunted.

"I am High King Peter of Narnia, also known as King Peter the Magnificent," he told me, his voice suddenly different, richer in tone. "You _will_ answer my question."

I swallowed nervously. His voice alone started to sound a bit more dignified. "Sure, and I'm the Princess of Cauliflower," I managed.

Cerulean eyes sparked with anger and impatience when I answered him.

"Peter, she's just a girl," the younger female said. "She can't do any harm."

"Harm or no harm, we don't even know what she's doing here," the other British-sounding spoke up.

"Edmund!"

"What! She dresses funny."

I bit my tongue to stop a snappy comment about what he was wearing.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"We want answers," Edmund said, coming closer, sword raised.

"What answers?"

"First of all, simply, what is your name?"

I hesitated. They seemed dangerous and welcoming at the same time. But then, they could kill me right away with those weapons. I also had to admit I was very paranoid; sometimes too paranoid for my own good, but I had to be safe from the government or else they would come barging through my hideouts for me… "I—My name is Tarah Dennis."

"What are you doing here?"

"It—it wasn't my fault. There was a door, and then it had words on it, and it opened, and…"

"See? She's harmless," the young girl said. "Let her go."

Peter lowered his weapon and glanced at me suspiciously. I rubbed the red mark where the sword had almost drawn blood.

"All right. You win, Lucy," he sighed. "Let's say we met under better circumstances. I'm Peter Pevensie."

He stuck out his hand. I shook it carefully. No one had ever even bothered to say hello to me, less shake my hand.

"These are my siblings." Peter swept his hands at the three other kids. "Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. That's Gareth over there. He's a Telmarine that joined us. He's going to help."

"Or so he says," Trumpkin muttered.

_Telmarine?_

"I'm Tarah," I replied.

"I know. You told us." Lucy smiled. Her grin sent chills down my back. Good chills. I couldn't remember the last time someone had smiled at me.

The stout man cleared his throat and looked pointedly at Peter.

"Oh, yes. I almost forgot. That's Trumpkin. We call him our Dear Little Friend; D.L.F. to abbreviate."

"He's so short," I blurted, holding back a smirk.

"_Short? _I am the average height for a Narnian Dwarf, young lass. _You_ are just merely over-tall," he sniffed.

"What? Wait, where am I?"

_Narnian Dwarf? High King? This is weird._

"Narnia," said Susan. "You're in Narnia."

"What? Narnia? Where on earth is that? I thought I was in Manhattan…two days ago…" The realization dawned on me.

They were all quiet for a few minutes, looking me up and down. I stared back at them.

"Well, what are we going to do about her?" Edmund questioned. "Do we take her in?"

"I say yes," Lucy said.

Susan studied me. "Yes."

"How about you, D.L.F.?" Peter called.

"If she has any sense," came the answer.

"Shut up," I muttered under my breath. That short man really bugged me.

"Gareth…"

Gareth peered at me curiously, like I was some kind of weird animal. "I…does my choice matter?"

"Of course."

"Then, yes. Yes. Take her in."

"Well? Edmund?" Peter looked at his younger brother.

"She has to be able to defend herself first, if she's going to come with us," he said. "I have a spare sword, but I'm afraid that I don't have any extra armor."

Edmund drew out a rapier that was about three feet long and tossed it to me. I barely caught it. The hilt was wrapped with leather and had threads of gold around it. The blade itself was made out of shiny steel. At the top of the handle was a golden lion's head.

"You're going to need this too." A scabbard was also flung in my direction. It was made of dark brown leather with gold plating at the bottom and at the top.

I slid the sword into the sheath. Peter gave me a scrap piece of cloth to hook it onto my cutoffs. Then I picked up my backpack and slung it onto one shoulder.

"We have to move, or else we'll never reach King Caspian!" Trumpkin finally called.

_King Caspian? Don't they have presidents these days? _

I must've looked confused because Lucy said, "I'll tell you as we go."

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**Alright. Now tell me how you liked this chapter.**

**~CampHB**


	4. Stories and Disruptive Sword Fighting

**I hope you like this chapter as well!**

**~CampHB**

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**~Chapter 4: Stories and Disruptive Sword Fighting~**

Lucy Pevensie chatted happily away with me, even though she was the only one talking. She told me about their first adventure here in Narnia, just a year ago.

There had been an evil White Witch that crowned herself Queen of Narnia, and cast the country into a snowy land. There was no Christmas or spring for about a hundred years. The White Witch had a magic wand that would turn people into snow if they disobeyed her.

Then Lucy had stumbled into a wardrobe which was actually a passageway into Narnia. At a lamp-post, she had met a Faun named Mr. Tumnus.

_A Faun? What in the world is that?_

She then went on to explain how she went back, and that the next time she came, Edmund was behind her. Edmund had met the White Witch and she made a bargain with him to bring his brothers and sisters next time.

When all the siblings had finally entered Narnia, the first thing they did was search for Mr. Tumnus, but the White Witch had captured him. The Beavers had brought them over to their dam, where they told the children about Aslan and the prophecy. Aslan was a lion, the true King of Narnia.

While the Beavers were explaining, Edmund had run away to the White Witch. She was furious when she found out that his brother and sisters weren't with him at the castle.

Some miles later, Lucy finished the story. I was amazed by what was in her head. She had one big imagination.

Trumpkin cleared his throat, telling me the tale, while leading us. "King Caspian was born Caspian the Tenth. His father was Caspian the Ninth and his mother was Queen Linata **(A/N: I made the Queen's name up)**. His parents are both dead by now—his father killed by his power-hungry uncle Miraz, and his mother was said to have died in her sleep, though rumor got around that she disappeared. Telmarines. All they do is kill," he muttered. "Miraz crowned himself King of Narnia soon after Caspian the Ninth died. Now he wants to kill Caspian because that way he can give the throne to his newborn son. Dr. Cornelius, Caspian's professor, warned him, and Caspian ran away and hit his head as he was escaping. Trufflehunter, Nikabrik, and I took him in. Trufflehunter's a Talking Beast, a Badger, and Nikabrik's a Black Dwarf, by the way. We nursed him, then set out to find who would join us on our side during a new war. The Centaurs, of course, were hostile enough. Nikabrik was kind enough to call on his own kind, and my brothers also agreed to help. We brought him to the Dancing Lawn to meet the other Narnians. They all joined him, and he blew Queen Susan's horn for help. Then I set out to Cair Paravel to find these four, because Queen Susan's horn was supposed to bring the Kings and Queens of the old back, though I was expecting them to be older… Anyway, they are supposed to help us. I met them two days ago and we've been heading back to Aslan's How, our encampment, ever since."

It was starting to get dark. Trumpkin began collecting twigs and branches.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

He looked up. "Making a fire. What did you think?"

I didn't answer. The boys made a pit for the fire and lined it with stones. The Red Dwarf finally came back and dumped the wood onto the pit.

Edmund took out a pack of matches and began striking a match. The wooden pick immediately burned out before it could light a twig. He tried again. The second match almost burned his hand.

I unzipped the outer pocket of my backpack and produced a lighter. I flicked the metal wheel, and a flame burst to life. The smaller branches soon caught on fire.

"What…how did you do…" Edmund was peering at the lighter. "What is that?"

I shrugged. "A lighter. Works every time."

Then I slipped it back into my bag.

Peter reached into his pocket and took out some kind of meat and stuck it on a stick.

"Bear meat," Susan told me when she caught me staring. "It's all we have."

Lucy made a face to signal that she didn't like it either.

"Uh, no thanks," I said.

Sadly I had to eat apples…_again. _

After dinner, Trumpkin lit his pipe and propped himself up against a rock.

"Would you like to entertain us, High King?" he asked.

Peter smiled. "How would you like to spar with Ed again?"

"With the greatest due respect, no thank you."

"How about you duel with someone?" Edmund suggested.

"With who? There's nobody besides the D.L.F., Gareth, and you," Peter answered

"What about Tarah? She has to learn."

"Good idea…"

"I'll teach her." Gareth jumped up and grabbed two branches about the same length from the ground. He tossed one to me. "Get up," he said.

"What?" I drew up my knees. "Seriously, no thanks."

"Get up."

"Oh, please do," Lucy pleaded, clapping her hands. "Please?"

"Fine." I sighed and picked myself up, scooping the branch.

"Now, stand straight," Gareth commanded. "No, not stiff. Stand straight. Yes, like that. Grip your sword, that's your stick, in your hand. No, don't wrap your hand around it like that. Hold it loosely."

I loosened my tight hold on the branch. It hung awkwardly in my right hand.

"Are you right-handed or left-handed?" he asked.

"Um, left."

"Then put it in your left hand." I heard him mutter something under his breath, "Idiot."

My face turned slightly red.

I shifted the stick to the opposite hand and gripped it more comfortably. Gareth suddenly charged forward and swung at my chest. I leaned back and avoided it from hitting my face.

"What was that for?" I yelled.

"That was the first blow. Defend yourself. The sword is merely just an extension of your arm. Use it. Let it become part of you." His dark eyes shone in the firelight.

"What he's saying is that you have to move the sword like it's part of your body. When you parry, the sword is like your arm that blocks the blow," Edmund called.

That made no sense at all.

"Pretend that the sword is basically your arm. You're trying to block the High King from hitting you and using your arm to hit him back," Peter supplied.

That made a little more sense. I kind of figured out what he was talking about.

The Telmarine swiped again. I slammed my stick against his and tried to push him back. Our weapons intersected.

"Not bad for a beginner, though most Telmarines learned and mastered this by age eight," he noted sarcastically.

I attempted to push him forward, but he was way stronger than me and I fell to the ground. He flicked my branch out of my hand and placed the tip of his at my neck.

"If this was real, you would've been a dead man."

I scowled, humiliation burning on my cheeks.

"Pick up your weapon."

I slowly took it into my hand. Gareth immediately attacked. He won again…and again…and again…

I sighed in frustration as Gareth's stick was placed at my throat for the fourth time.

"You're going too hard on her," Peter called. "This is her first time."

"If I go any easier, she'll be the first one killed in battle," Gareth replied angrily. Clearly his patience was running out.

"You can't blame her. She's never done this before."

"Fine! Let her die, then! I've tried!" Gareth spread out his hands.

Silence answered him. Besides the crackling of the campfire, all was quiet.

_He _soo _did not just say what I thought I heard…_

"Telmarines!" Trumpkin suddenly spat.

"Why you little—" Peter rose to his feet.

When the shock of Gareth's words passed, I was absolutely and positively furious with him. I struck him hard across the cheek. He was fast to react, grabbing my wrist and twisting it, causing me to wince, despite my efforts to hold my pain in check. He sneered at my discomfort.

Peter barreled into Gareth and threw him to the ground. The two boys grappled around on the grass, tackling each other and throwing as many punches as possible.

Gareth lashed out and took hold of my ankle, pulling me down. I struggled against his grip, flailing around. My foot made connection with a something hard. I opened my eyes to see that I had kicked Gareth in the chest.

"Stop!" Edmund's voice rang out. "Stop it! The three of you!"

We froze.

"What do you think you're doing?" cried Susan. "Gareth, why attack a girl? Tarah is innocent. And Peter, what were you thinking? You're the High King, not some sort of wild boy that enjoys fighting other people!"

The eldest Pevensie ignored his sister.

"You think that you are so powerful, don't you, little beast?" Peter took a menacing step towards the Telmarine.

"You don't know anything about power." Gareth seemed equally frightening.

"Power can save."

"Power can crush! Where were you when Narnia needed you most?"

"It wasn't our fault! Aslan wanted it to be this way."

"So you say! And power given to you by a lion? Not possible! You're all liars and cowards, I say! All of you!" He clenched and unclenched his fist.

Peter responded my drawing his sword. The metal sparkled in the fire's glow.

Gareth also drew his weapon. It was black iron.

"Whether you are friend or foe, we cannot have traitors anywhere, or anyone who dare dishonors a code of chivalry."

"What have I done that is so bad?"

He cocked his head. "You hurt a helpless girl for no reason."

"She deserved it."

His face was grave. "So it be, you shall die."

Peter raised his sword, as did Gareth. Their blades were about to clash when I found myself between them.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Don't you know when enough drama is enough?"

"It's none of your business, Tarah." Peter was using the High King tone again.

"Yes, it is."

Gareth didn't say anything. He just stood there and watched the two of us standing.

I was mad. Mad at both of the boys before me. Mad at myself for displaying such a weak impression. I would've slapped both of them, and then run away, but Lucy stopped me.

"Tarah…"

The young girl tugged at my arm and motioned for me to sit down. I glared at Peter, then at Gareth. Lucy led me to her seat and I crossed my legs.

"It-it must be that we're all tired," Susan finally said. "Yes. That must be it. I'm tired. What about you?"

It sounded like she was trying to reassure herself more than us.

"Su," Edmund whispered. "Shh."

Peter walked back to his spot in the circle around the campfire. His eyes flickered between Gareth and me the whole time. Gareth was also glancing warily.

I rolled onto my back and looked up at the stars. They were twinkling in constellations I didn't know, but that didn't matter. They were beautiful tonight.

The warm heat enclosed around me as my eyelids drooped.


	5. Prince Caspian

**Sorry so much for not updating. As some of you may know, I moved, so it's been harder for me to update. Well, this is the fifth chapter. Enjoy! :) **

**~CampHB**

* * *

**~Chapter 5: Prince Caspian~**

_Fire…flames creeping closer…_

I woke up for the third time that morning, gasping. The dreams were more vivid than ever. Had I really killed my mom? I'd hoped that she would die. And right after I said that, I knocked the lighter out of her hand, which triggered a fire. The guilt of that would always burden me.

_Did she ever love me? And did I ever love her back? What did she mean by 'I gave up everything so that you could have a better future'? _

The questions were imprinted in my head. I stretched, feeling stiff after sleeping on cold, hard ground.

The sun was rising, splashing bright hues of pinks, oranges, and yellows onto the twinkling dark blue canvas of the sky. The glowing embers in the fire were warm now. A small hand rolled across my legs.

Lucy tossed on the ground, settling down again. Her eyes were closed in deep sleep.

_Where am I? _was my first thought.

Everything seemed unfamiliar. The most I knew was that I wasn't in a subway station.

'_Narnia,' _a quiet voice rumbled in my mind. _'Behold, the land of Narnia, created by the Son of the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea.'_

_Who's that? _I looked around for the possible source of the voice.

'_Patience, young one,' _it said. _'You will learn all in good time. Now go into the woods.'_

_Where?_

'_Go.'_

I reluctantly walked into the clusters of oak, maple, and elm trees.

_What now? _I thought. There was no one else in the woods so far…or at least that was how it seemed.

A hand reached out from behind me and pulled me back, covering my mouth so that I wouldn't make a sound. I kicked my legs and tried to scramble free. My sword clanked at my side.

_Great. Now what? Another serial killer? Just my luck._

"Let go!" I tried to yell, but it came out more like, "Lmf guuummm!"

"Be quiet," a voice commanded. "Stay still or else I'll kill you."

I froze in place, not daring to move a centimeter. A sword tip was ready to slit my throat.

"Get away!" Peter's voice reached me. He was rushing toward me with his great sword drawn, ready for a duel.

"Stop!" Thundering feet sounded throughout the forest. Weird creatures came galloping into the scene.

Some were half horse, half men. Others were short dwarves like Trumpkin. There were goat-men and minotaurs. Panthers and leopards leaped into the clearing.

Armor was fitted onto their bodies. Bows and arrows were held ready to shoot. Spears, javelins, and swords were ready to be used at moment's notice.

"Let her go," Peter commanded.

"Why should I? Who are you, anyway?"

"Let her go."

"No."

Peter charged again. Sharp steel dug into one of the veins in my neck, letting blood flow out. This person that was holding me captive wasn't going to hesitate to kill me. That was obviously not good.

"Peter!" Susan ran into the clearing with Gareth, Trumpkin, and her younger siblings behind her.

Gareth stumbled back a few steps before regaining his balance. He glanced at me—or the person behind me, I should say.

_What? _I was confused.

"Prince Caspian," Gareth said, head bowed.

_Prince what? _

"Prince Caspian?" Peter looked at my captor. "Is that who you are?"

"Yes," he replied. "And who are you?"

"He's High King Peter," Trumpkin said.

"Oh."

"Release her," Peter said, motioning to me. Caspian immediately let go.

I turned around to face him. He was taller than me, with dark, waving hair. His brown eyes were hidden from emotion. Caspian had tanned skin, with black armor. A sword also hung at his side. As he moved, I saw a glint of something gold hung on a cord inside his shirt.

"High King," he said. "And…Queen Susan; King Edmund; Queen Lucy…" He pointed to me.

"No, that's Lucy." Peter gestured in the direction of his younger sister.

"Then who…"

"She's Tarah."

"How is she here? She dresses different."

Peter shrugged like he didn't care. "I don't know. She came through a door." Then he focused his attention on me. "Where were you this morning?"

"What?"

"Where were you? We were searching all over for you. And here. You _never_ leave your sword behind. It's your weapon—your life."

He threw the borrowed weapon at me. I grabbed it.

"I was—"

"Why were you in the woods?"

I took a deep breath and forced myself to stay silent. I shouldn't lose my temper over him.

"Well," Edmund broke the tension, "we should get going."

"He's right." A horse-man spoke up. "If we are to reach Aslan's How by tomorrow, we should go now_._" He glanced at Caspian.

Caspian nodded. "All right, Roonwit. Gather your family."

He began to lead us away from the woods. Peter glowered at me before turning away. Lucy seized my hand and clutched it tightly.

"I'm glad we found you, Tarah," she whispered. "I was scared."

_Yeah. Sure. Whatever. I don't care._

* * *

The trek stopped again during the late afternoon. I moved forward to see why.

We were on a cliff; below us rushed a great gorge, the waters moving swiftly. On our left there were higher cliffs. On the right was a dirt path leading downstream.

"Which way?" Susan asked, glancing at Caspian quickly, then breaking her gaze.

He didn't look at her. "I don't know."

"Downstream," Gareth said. "We'll be able to reach the Great Rush. And if we choose upstream, there will be more cliffs to climb. Downstream is the best choice."

"All right. Downstream it is."

"Look! Look! Over there! It's Aslan!" Lucy was jumping up and down excitedly and pointing upstream. "It's Aslan!"

_What a wonderful imagination, _I thought sarcastically. _I see the lion._

We turned our heads in her direction. I lifted my eyes in the direction of her gaze, but I didn't see anything there but rocks.

"Where did you think you saw him?" Susan asked.

"I didn't _think _I saw him!" Lucy stamped her foot. "I _saw_ him. He was right…there…" Her voice trailed off.

"She may have seen a wild lion, or might have been hallucinating." Trumpkin shrugged the matter off.

"No! I saw him! And he wanted us to go that way!" Lucy pointed upstream.

Peter raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because I don't see anything."

"He _was _there!"

"I think we should listen to Lucy," Edmund put in. "I mean, because last time I didn't listen to Lucy, I ended up looking really stupid. The truth is, Lucy also has the best connection to Aslan, too."

Caspian glanced over to Roonwit the Centaur for some help.

"You are the true king," he told Caspian. "I will follow your leads."

"Caspian, Peter, Lucy, Edmund, Gareth, me…If the six of us vote, there's no tiebreaker," Susan stated. "We need someone to decide for the final decision."

"Who, then?"

"Tarah." Edmund waved me into their ring.

"Upstream, raise your hands," Peter announced.

I raised my hand, as well as Peter, Susan, and Gareth. Caspian hesitated a second before raising his hand too.

"It's decided, then. Downstream we'll go. Come on." Peter started down the dry dirt path.

I looked at Lucy. The little girl seemed as if she was fighting not to cry. Edmund took her hand.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," he said. "I tried, but the others won't listen."

"I-it's alright, Ed. I-I—"

As I turned before they could say any more, I started to feel a little guilty about not agreeing with Lucy.


	6. Capture

**I am VERY VERY VERY sorry that I have not been updating for so long but I had three summer camps all tightly packed together and all the days that I haven't been at camp or at home packing (which is about…five days roughly?) I have been trying to write something. I'll update everything else soon but I'm going to focus on this story more.**

**Anyway, enjoy! :D**

**~CampHB**

* * *

**~Chapter 6: Capture~**

The sky was clear, and a slight breeze blew through the dry air. I stumbled over a large rock in my path and almost felt until one of the centaurs pulled me up. I was tired, hot, and hungry. We'd been walking nonstop since we made the decision to go downstream. Suddenly the front pulled to a halt.

"What happened?" somebody called. "Why've we stopped?"

There was the sound of running feet and panting breath. A short Dwarf ran into the safety of our midst.

"Firepounder! What news?" Caspian greeted the Dwarf.

"My lord," Firepounder gasped, "I have spotted the Telmarine camp ahead. They are very close and they have men of numbers greater than ours. I—"

The Dwarf was cut off abruptly and stood stock-still before finally teetering toward the ground. A dark arrow sprouted out of his back, blood starting to soak his tunic.

The High King took a step back and drew out his sword.

"We are under attack," he announced. "Steady your weapons and try to move back from where we came quietly."

There was silence for a couple of seconds. We couldn't hear anything but our own breathing.

"Over there!" A loud cry rang through the forest. "The barbarians are over there!"

The sound of pounding horses followed the voice. Telmarine soldiers arrived. They carried spears, crossbows, javelins, and swords.

Around me rushed confusion. Dwarves immediately sprang to action, whipping out hunting knives. Talking animals bared their teeth in warning. Their fur rippled as they flexed their muscles.

Telmarines in dark armor circled us, some on horses, some on foot. Menacing stares reached us.

"Charge!" a commander shouted.

"To arms, Narnia!" Peter yelled with the same intensity.

Soldiers mingled with Narnia's mythical creatures and fought ferociously. Everything burst into chaos.

I clumsily pulled out my steel weapon. I still couldn't hold it correctly, much less fight with it. A soldier headed toward me, his sword spinning around wickedly. His gaze locked with mine as he drew closer. Hatred filled his eyes.

_I can't do this! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!_ Fear and panic washed over me. I couldn't do this. It was too hard. I was going to die.

'_Do not be afraid, child.'_ The same soothing voice from that morning spoke. _'Hold your weapon steady.'_

_How do I know if—?_

'_Faith. Have faith.' _Peace swept through my soul and immediately my hands stopped shaking. They raised up my sword and held them perfectly in the position that Gareth had tried so hard to teach me.

The soldier was closer now. Dread rose up again but it was calmed by another wave of peace. His lips curled into a cruel sneer. Normally I would have been afraid, but I wasn't. Not now. I was confident.

Our blades clashed. He withdrew and slashed again, only to meet open air. He swung around, confused as I stabbed my sword into his side. The Telmarine had a surprised look on his face before crumpling to the ground, dead.

I pulled out my weapon, the sudden pump of adrenaline gone. It was covered in dark, sticky blood. I gaped. Had I just killed a person? A human like me? My head began to feel a little dizzy and the world seemed to spin the slightest bit.

There was a movement behind me. I turned around. A Telmarine had his sword raised up and was bringing it down. The blade was aimed right from my neck to chop my head off from the rest of my body.

I could do nothing, just open my mouth in silent horror. It was as if everything happened in slow motion. The man's eyes suddenly bulged out. Blood spurted out of his mouth as he fell face-forward. I scrambled out of the way just in time, grabbing my sword.

Caspian withdrew his weapon quickly and looked at me. "This is not time for staring or for watching people die for you. If you want to live, fight."

His words stung, but I pushed down the rising retorts.

"Made your first kill, I guess?" he asked.

I nodded.

Surprisingly, he smiled dryly. "I had the same feeling," Caspian admitted. "But you'll get used to it. This is life, after all."

I nodded again and he ran back into the fighting.

_I can do this. Focus. _Focus!

Everything was now in a different perspective. I singled out a lone soldier, looking around to help his fellow Telmarines. My vision seemed to zoom in on him as I walked closer. At the last moment, he realized he had been caught off guard and swung his arm back to defend himself, but I pierced his armor and cut into his heart. He fell to the ground with the rest of the dead.

_Don't look. Don't look… _It took all my willpower not to stare and gag as I retracted my blade from his chest.

While all the disorder and turmoil took place, almost none of us became conscious to what else was happening before it was almost too late.

"We have to retreat! There's too many of them and too less of us!" Susan yelled loudly.

In a matter of minutes, reinforcements for the black-clad soldiers had arrived. Troops two or three times our size marched closer.

"We can't!" Peter shouted back, determined.

"We have to! Unless you want a bloody massacre and everyone killed!" screamed Susan.

"Su's right, Peter. We can't have everyone killed," Edmund agreed.

"But we _can't_," he insisted.

For the first time, Gareth agreed with Peter. "We shouldn't. The High King makes the decisions, anyway."

There was a large rock a little far back where almost no one was fighting near. The Pevensie siblings looked at each other before all dashing for the safety of the boulder. With a shrug, Caspian and Gareth ran along. I joined them.

We all gathered behind the huge stone.

"Retreat! I'm telling you we need to retreat!" Susan was arguing with Peter.

"No! We shouldn't anyways. That would expose that we are weak and unorganized!"

"You're so—so…prideful! You don't care if anyone else gets hurt! It's all about your reputation!"

"Wait, stop! Please…" Lucy's feeble attempts to break up the family spat didn't affect it at all.

"STOP!" Caspian roared.

That caught their attention.

"We need to figure this out in an orderly manner. Those who would like to retreat, please raise your hands."

Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian raised their hands. It was final. Majority rules.

"Fine." Peter seemed angry. "Fine. We'll retreat then. But we need someone to hold them off so we can be sure that we'll all be safe. And I'm doing it."

"No! Peter!" Lucy's eyes were wild. "You can't! You'll be killed!"

"Peter!" A few moments before, Susan seemed furious at her older brother, but now she begged him not to go.

Peter was going to stay behind for the sake of us all. For our lives. Our _lives._ Why couldn't I be more like him? As annoying as he could be, he had qualities that made him a natural-born leader—qualities I wished I had: bravery, courage, confidence…

A small thought tugged at my mind. _Stay. Stay and fight. Fight._

"I'll stay," I blurted.

They stared at me as if I was crazy. Disbelief was written on Susan's face while adoration was displayed on Lucy's. Edmund seemed surprised while Gareth, Caspian, and Peter had 'No' clearly explained as well as a hint of amusement.

"You don't need me anyway," I added quickly.

"Now, look, Tarah—" Of _course_ Peter had to oppose me.

"Shut up, okay? You know I'm that I'm no help. You don't need me." It hurt to say those words because I knew I was a letdown to them. I was a burden, a mess they didn't need and were better without.

Edmund saw the determined look on my face and immediately stopped himself from saying whatever he was going to say.

"Wait. May I…" Caspian glanced at me. "I need to talk to her first."

_He needs to talk to me? Now what?_

Edmund nodded. I noted the slight look of disappointment flash across Susan's face.

Caspian drew me to a corner where the others couldn't hear us. He looked a little confused.

"Tarah, I…" The prince looked straight into my eyes.

_What's wrong with him? What's he trying to get across?_

He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Tarah, you don't have to do this. You don't have to feel left out or anything. Let Peter do it. He's experienced."

"No."

"But _why_ do want to do this? You barely know this place."

He was right. This was my first time here. But why? Why did I insist so hard to fight for them? I didn't even know the answer myself. A strand of hair fell across my face.

"I-I just have to. That's all I know. And besides, there's this…" _…this voice. This voice that edges me on and won't give up on me…_

"Listen to me." Caspian laid a hand on my shoulder. "You don't have to do this but if you want to, then it's your choice. Your decision. If you die you will be honored because you are a foreigner, an alien who barely knew this country and was willing to sacrifice yourself."

I didn't say anything.

"There's something else too," the Telmarine prince confessed. "I-I really like you. I know we've only met but there's something about you that I feel close to. That I feel drawn to. Just don't die and do your best to survive."

_What?_

He brushed the loose strand away and tucked it behind my ear and then walked back to his allies. I followed him, speechless.

"May Aslan be with you," he simply stated.

No one else said anything. I bit my lip before running out into the opening again. Was I ready to do this? Was I ready to lay my life down for the rest of them? What did they do for me anyway?

I shook my head, clearing it of thoughts. Around me lay bodies scattered on the forest floor. It was devastating to see these once-peaceful woods littered by corpses in such a short time.

"Narnia! Retreat!" I ordered. Surprisingly the beasts obeyed my command. They began to draw back deeper into the woods.

As they were receding, I ran forward into the enemy ranks. So this was how my life was going to end. Killed by brutal men and trampled on the ground.

"Wait! Tarah!"

The High King ran down with his weapon raised.

"Peter? What are you doing?"

"I can't let you die, can I? As High King it is my duty to protect Narnia and its creatures and people." He smiled wanly and then stepped into the enemy ranks, ready to kill.

I attacked a younger soldier and blocked and parried for a couple of moments before driving my sword into his chest and then pulling it out. Immediately another warrior took his place and fought me.

At first it seemed like we might actually survive, but after about five more minutes, all hope was lost. There were so many reinforcements that Peter and I were forced to stand back-to-back to fight the numerous men. I felt his muscles tense as an armored boy edged closer.

Archers and soldiers on foot closed in on us, making me feel the slightest bit claustrophobic. Suddenly a large horse reared up on its hind legs, kicking Peter in the chest. The blow sent him flying to a nearby tree, cracking his head on the trunk.

"Peter!"

In that small moment of distraction, a soldier knocked my sword out of my hand and raised his weapon, about to plunge it deep into my heart.

_I'm going to die. I'm going to DIE!_

"Wait!" The voice rang out crisp and clear. The weapon was still poised centimeters away from my chest, but they stopped.

A middle-aged man with gray-streaked brown hair halted his horse to a stop.

"Lord Sopespian," the soldier about to kill me inclined his head towards the man.

Lord Sopespian let his eyes sweep around us, taking in what had happened here.

"I heard that a little uprising had happened here. Was it only these two?"

"No, my lord. There were dozens more. Some were the barbarians, some were humans. Prince Caspian was among the mob."

"Caspian?" Sopespian raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, my lord."

"I will inform Miraz of this. Take the two prisoners and bring them to the castle. They may be of help of the whereabouts of their hiding."

The Telmarine soldier hauled me to my feet and roughly twisted my wrists together, binding them with coarse rope. Another guard violently jerked Peter so that he stood up. A large gash on his forehead was bleeding freely. Our eyes locked and I was overwhelmed by the anger and rage that was pouring out of them.

As we walked to the soldiers' horses, we passed by the lord's horse. He glowered down at Peter and me. As I went by, a flicker of confusion danced on Sopespian's face.

We were thrown onto the horses; Peter was on a speckled gray stallion and I was on a black steed. The rider slapped the horses' behinds and we were off—to somewhere where anything could happen to us. _Anything._

* * *

**I know this kind of sucked, but I did my best. With three month break from writing, I'm still a little shaky. I hope you enjoyed at least a little bit of it and enjoyed it! ;)**

**~CampHB**


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